Abu Dhabi: A three-man gang, including a school student, have been arrested on charges of a robbery at an Emirati’s home in the Western Region while the family were away for two days, Abu Dhabi Police said on wednesday.

Ranging from official documents to gold and cash, most of the stolen items, with an estimated worth of over Dh300,000, were recovered from the gang with the help of divers from the Abu Dhabi Marine Police and will be used as evidence in the court case against the suspects.

Y.A., 20, M.A., 18, and A.M., 17, who allegedly specialised in robbing homes, would crack open locked metal cabinets using a drill then dispose of evidence by throwing it in the sea to hide their crimes, according to Colonel Ajil Ali Abdullah Al Junaibi, Director of the Western Region Police Directorate in Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters.

Al Junaibi said that based on investigations, the prime suspect Y.A., a GCC national, allegedly climbed the house’s fence during the night and broke the window to enter the house before stealing from the family’s belongings.

Al Junaibi continued: “When Y.A. was unable to open one of the cabinets by hand, he called A.M., who then informed Arab-national M.A. to help with the mission. The three then reportedly each played a part in stealing the large cabinet by rolling it out of the house using a trolley and loading it into Y.A.’s car, which was parked in the garage.

The official said that the gang then disposed of the steel cabinet in the sea while it contained many of the family’s official documents such as passports and birth and education certificates.

The gang was caught less than two days after the robbery was reported to the police. Al Junaibi said that the three youths confessed to their crimes after being faced with the evidence against them.

Al Junaibi called on members of the public to refrain from keeping their valuables at their homes and to keep them in bank lockers instead. The official also urged people to secure their homes’ doors and windows and to install surveillance cameras and security alarms.